How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
When Father Latour thinks of New Mexico, he feels like all of nature is intertwined. He can see the sky in the grass and can smell the earth in the wind. All in all, he gets a sort of spiritual fulfillment from feeling so close to the natural landscape.
Quote #8
This house was so frail a shelter that one seemed to be sitting in the heart of a world made of dusty earth and moving air. (7.3.28)
Back in Europe, there are all kinds of castles and big manors to keep out the heat and the cold. But in New Mexico, Father Latour learns that nearly every house is little more than a thin shell. He takes this as a symbol of the fact that the people living in this area are much less removed from nature than Europeans are.
Quote #9
Travelling with Eusabio was like travelling with the landscape made human. He accepted chance and weather as the country did, with a sort of grave enjoyment. (7.4.8)
Eusabio has deep connections to the Navajo people, which Father Latour interprets as a deep connection to the New Mexico landscape as well. Unlike white settlers, who try to control nature, the people of New Mexico tend to accept whatever nature throws their way and to deal with it however they can.